Video: Hundreds of guns surrendered in north-east destroyed by police

Hundreds of firearms, air weapons and ammunition surrendered to police in the north-east have been destroyed.

The firearms were given up during the police’s #GunSurrender campaign in July and August.

And now officers have revealed what happens to the weapons.

Firearms licensing inspector Mark McLaughlin said: “One of the lesser known services my department provides is to arrange for the safe disposal and destruction of guns or ammunition which comes into police possession across the division.

“These items arrive from a variety of sources, primarily certificate holders who wish to dispose of legally held guns or ammunition which is no longer required.

“In less frequent circumstances, old unlicensed shotguns or guns taken as trophies of war occasionally come into the possession of the police. These guns are usually found by relatives of people who have died while tidying up their affairs.

“Assuming every effort is made to hand these weapons over to police as soon as they come to light, members of the public have no fear of prosecution.

“However anyone who retains such an illegally held weapon, or attempts to dispose of it unlawfully, faces serious consequences and a mandatory jail term if the circumstances should come to police attention.

“Following the two–week Firearms Surrender campaign over the summer, the weapons which police had taken possession of were destroyed using specialist equipment which quite literally chops the guns up.